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At first, the original project was much simpler, but as I learned about the Discord APi and the existing tools to create bots, the project developed in its own thing.
This is a pet project taken as a hobby among others and intended to have fun.
Don't expect professional pattern design or fast development. I have no professional experience in development, and I'm also using it as a change to experiment with NodeJS and the discord APIs.
The project itself might seem complex, but the bots are simpler than they look, as they only remember, analyze and respond to a fixed list of commands and rely of a static json database of pre-scripted responses.
Given my meager knowledge about the Discord API and data management, the bots will only be playable on private channels on a dedicated server for now. Then, once their functions are stable, they'll be available for more confidential play in personal Discord Messages. That way, they only have to respond to one player per channel.
How does the bots work
The characters the bots play as are relatively customizable, and will evolve depending on how you interact with them though simple command-response dynamics.
But attention
- Even through you can only intereact with the characters in your personal channel, they, are able to interact with each other, and in limited ways, with other users in other personal chatrooms. But you can always try to forbit it. Most of the characters will probably listen.
- All channels are 18+ so that there is no 4rth-wall breaking censorship as long as you don't break the rules of Discord or of the server. (That includes not openly and violently harassing any character in ways that would be criminal were they humans. Because I cherish my sanity.)
- But you can still roughen the character to some extend, since they are able to take in-game measures to limit any level of abuse against them. Among which: turning grey rock, runing away, or ditching you on your other linage members—for example, if you have a Jedi Master, that one can decide to punish you through real but creative Discord moderation.
- Even through only you can initiate interaction with the bots in your personal channel, that channel is not private: so all members can read your coversations. For more freedom and privacy, you can rather play in Direct Messages, if you allow the bots there.
- The first bot is Panobiwan.
It generates padawan characters that you can choose and train like tamagoshi
You are a Jedi Knight or a Jedi Master, able to request a padawan.When you do, three initiates, with different types of hair, are presented to you in the tiple. You can choose one to form a training bond with.
Most of the commands you pass and the acknowledgment you give to your padawan will change their responses, and decide of what sort of adult they become.
At some point, when you decide that they are ready for it, they will pass the trials and become Knights in their own right, leaving you with their padawan braid, and the freedom to take a new padawan. And you can have as many padawan as you want ... unless you neglected some or abused your authority over some and got a very bad reputation.
That doesn’t mean that your ties will be cut, though: if your relationship with them is strong, they will all riain in contact with you, giving way to much more options to play (pretend play, turning rogue, taking charge).
Indeed, once your padawan reaches adulthood, you can convince them to leave the Jedi Order and explore both side of the Force. Or become close friends (tm), optionally romancing them, and maybe later, for those who enjoy organic and healthy power reversals, somethemng more. Or if you padawan developed too much attachment for you, they will not be able to find peace easily, and that relationship can be a probli that grows as time passes and your collection of braids grows...unless you show patience, honor and get ready to right your wrongs...
- The second bot is Apprentwan.
It handles and roleplays rogue Force users.
Once adult, if you tell them that you have been studying and using both sides of the Force, your padawan can be persuaded or convinced to join you and become your apprentice.
The relationship you have with an apprentice, without the Jedi code, is different and the one that you can have with a padawan, even adult. Things can ends in more 'extreme' ways with those.
For example, if you mistreat your apprentice, they won't just run away or become repressed, they will retaliate and might kill you to become a Sith Lord. But if you spoil them, they might make you their thrall, so be mindful of what you command them to do, and what you encourage from them.
Also, you can have only one apprentice; even after your reach an ending of the story with them, they won't simply get up and leave. There is no casual separation in a grey lineage.
- The third bot is Kenobiwan.
It handles and roleplays the graduated Jedi Knight who were once your padawan, if you decided to riain in touch and became best friends or lovers. You can have only one close Jedi friend.
- The fourth bot is ForceKenobi.
It roleplays only one character shared among players: a Jedi Master who can provide you with the discipline that you need...if you officially ask for thems.
Changelog
- Sept 2022: Started conception, wrote dozens of Panobiwan responses
- Oct 2022: Started Panobiwan JSON database ('SOLID' pattern)
- Oct 2022: Started the conception charts and tackled legal stuff (disclaimers, low-brow patent for the copyleft details, terms of use compliant with the DIscord charts).
- Nov 2022: Finished Panobiwan's database
- Nov 2022: Serverside script with GUI to administrate Panobiwan and the static parts of its database (none of the player's data must be modified from there) with the commands: start bot, stop bot, update bot responses from markdown, restore state from git, encrypt database, quit server. Shouldn't spend too much time here; will only focus on start bot, stop bot, update bot responses from markdown.
- Dec 2022: Stared filling out the static parts of the database through its markdown files.
- Dec 2022: Made a motivational chatbot prototype out of Kenobiwan to test Scratch for Discord and how the bot will look and respond on a mobile phone. Not too bad, but the prototype is very basic and S4D is not made for relational projects. Decided to change the framework and build our own API.
- Jan 2023: Paused development on Scratch for Discord to setting up the environment for raw JS code instead. Still have to decide between NodeJS (configuraiton handled by the hosting server) or PHP for because Apache makes admin easy (costomizable configuration and .htaccess). Must check if our 24/7 handles Apache files.
RSS link coming soon.
coming soon.
Want to help?
We are currently looking for colaborators with some experience in coding (node js oop, npm, Scratch4Discord), artists, or devops for remote commands
(start, stop, quit servers, git updates, encrypt, decrypt). If you have no experience but want to collaborate, please notify me too. There are many things yet to do and organise around of the databases. If you are here, then you know me on some social media. Contact me there if you are interest in participating.